


Open Book

by SeeTheVision



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, But lots of chensung, Cute, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, M/M, Nomin and johnten are background, Pining, This is a markhyuck fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-04-07 07:31:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19080370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeTheVision/pseuds/SeeTheVision
Summary: Mark Lee was never one to keep many secrets. Jeno calls Mark an open book, which Mark finds ironic because his one and only secret is, in fact, a book.(Aka Mark writes song lyrics and doesn't notice Donghyuck is in love with him)





	1. My Page

Mark Lee was never one to keep many secrets. Many a surprise party has been ruined by his inability to disguise his excitement, and Jaemin often complains about Mark's tendency to overshare. Jeno calls Mark an open book, which Mark find ironic because his one and only secret is, in fact, a book.

It’s not really a diary, he tells himself; that would be too cliché.

Mark softly hums to himself as he writes, Korean and English weaving together into a language all his own. Maybe someday he'll write a full song, but for now it’s only lines and verses, matching a melody or beat in his mind.

 _The first and the last are the same circle_  
_The new end is another beginning_  
_Repeated starting point_  
_I can finish my story_

Johnny, Mark's brother, knocks on the bedroom door, causing Mark to instinctively slam his notebook shut. He isn’t embarrassed exactly, but his lyrics… they’re too personal for anyone else to see.

“Jeno and Renjun are here,” Johnny says, poking his head inside Mark's room. “Please try not to break anything this time.”

“I can’t promise anything with Jisung around.”

_The new end is another beginning…_

Tomorrow will be the start of the last year of high school for Mark, and the first year for Jisung. Renjun would no doubt tease him for being so sentimental, but Mark can’t help it. This year would probably be the last year with all his friends together.

Mark enters the living room to find the usual arrangement: Jeno and Jaemin on the couch, Jaemin already resting his head on Jeno’s shoulder, Renjun curled up on an armchair looking characteristically annoyed, and Jaemin’s brother Jisung sprawled on the floor with Chenle, who was the most recent addition to their group after moving from China four months ago.

When Mark first moved in with Johnny when their parents moved back to Canada, Johnny had complained that he had agreed to one roommate, not six. In the three years since, however, they had become part of the household.

After performing a quick headcount, Mark realizes who hasn’t arrived yet. “Where's Donghyuck?”

"Probably still doing his hair,” Chenle snorts. “Look what Ten hyung gave us!”

Mark takes one look at the bottle Chenle is holding before snatching it away. “Absolutely not.”

“But hyung, we're practically adults now,” Chenle whines.

“We have to do something to celebrate us starting high school,” Jisung chimes in.

Mark looks to Jaemin for help, but the latter only shrugs and snuggles closer to Jeno. “Let them try it hyung, they’ll spit it out anyway.”

Mark is about to argue further but Donghyuck’s laughter from the doorway cuts him off. “Ten hyung gave me my first drink too,” he says as he enters the room, eyes glowing. “Remember, Mark?”

In fact, Mark has no recollection whatsoever of said night, which Donghyuck knows full well, but he’s always been too embarrassed to ask what exactly happened. The only thing he knows about that night come from his lyrics, barley legible in a drunken scrawl

 _I don’t know what it’s like to be tipsy,_  
_But I think I’m drunk on you_

“Ten hyung is a really bad influence.”  
Donghyuck giggles as he snatches the bottle from Mark. “I’ll keep this out of reach of the children.”

The alcohol ends up safe in the kitchen, unopened, because, as Renjun points out, no one wants a hangover on the first day of school.

The usual antics, jokes, and games fill the room with a warm buzz, and Mark can’t help but think how much he'll miss these boys.  
Donghyuck, who has an uncanny knack for reading Mark's mind, quietly teases, “We still have a year, Mark hyung.”

Chenle has a strict 10 pm curfew, and Jisung announces that the party will be no fun without Chenle, so by 10:15, the noise level dies down a considerable amount.

“The babies are gone, now what will we do?” Jaemin asks in a voice dripping flirtation.

Renjun groans. “Jaemin, if you makes us play truth or dare one more time-“

“Yeah, dare Jeno to kiss you on your own time” Donghyuck pipes up. Jeno growls in response, but it isn’t enough to hide the way his eyes smile at the suggestion.

"Oh God, don’t encourage them.” Renjun covers his face.

“For your information,” Jaemin says haughtily, “that thought never crosses my mind. I was thinking something more…interesting.” His eyes flick for a moment toward Donghyuck, who shifts ever so slightly. Mark turns and finds himself staring directly into Donghyuck's wide eyes. For a moment, Hyuck looks almost… panicked? A very uncharacteristic look for him. The next moment, however, Hyuck winks in that overly confident way, and Mark is left to wonder if he imagined it.

Ten and Johnny enter the room. “Get out of my house, gremlins,” Johnny orders good-naturedly. “It’s Marky's bed time.”

Grumbling, everyone pries themselves from their various pieces of furniture. Mark instinctively dodges a kiss from Donghyuck before he leaves; after so many years of knowing Hyuck, his impetuous attention seeking doesn't phase Mark anymore. Hyuck pouts before smiling that sunshine smile of his and walking out the front door, followed closely by the others.

Mark adds another lyric to his book before he goes to bed that night. Even he isn’t sure what it means.

 _When you smile, it’s shining_  
_But for some reason, you’re lying inside_

 

The moment the door closes behind them, Donghyuck slugs Jaemin in the arm. “Oh my God, Jaemin I could just kill you right now!” He hisses.

"What do you mean?” Jaemin tries to act innocent but his mischievous grin gives him away. “I’m just trying to help you, Hyuckie.”

“You did try to kiss him anyway,” Renjun points out.

“That’s different,” Donghyuck waves a dismissive hand. “I do that all the time.”

"Hyuck, you really need to stop waiting around for Mark to notice how you feel,” Jeno says as they start walking down the street. “That’s really not going to happen.”

"I’ll do it! This is the year!” Donghyuck insists, fighting off the knot of anxiety in his stomach.

“That’s what you said last year,” Jaemin sighs exasperatedly

“And the year before that” Jeno adds helpfully

“And the ye-“ Donghyuck shoves Renjun off the sidewalk to a roar of laughter from the other two.

“First of all, it is entirely your fault it’s taken so long,” Donghyuck insists. “You keep trying to help but I just end up running damage control.” Jaemin pouts at this, but Donghyuck continues, “All of you swear to me you won’t interfere.”

“At all?”

“At. All.”

“But what if-“

“AT. ALL.”

“Okay okay, fine.”

Donghyuck extracts a promise from each of his friends. “And make Chenle and Jisung swear as well!”

“Okay! God, Hyuck, we'll leave to fail alone, happy?”

“Yes.”

By the time Donghyuck reaches his home, his resolve is solid. This year won’t slip away from him. This year is his last chance. For the millionth time, Donghyuck curses himself for falling for his best friend. And for the millionth time, he curses Mark for being to damn stupid to notice.

 


	2. Drippin'

“Hyung, you’re so cute!” Donghyuck’s voice drips aegyo. Mark doesn’t even look up from his textbook.

“Be quiet”

It’s the 3rd day of school and Mark and Donghyuck are sprawled on Mark's bedroom floor, studying for a chemistry test. Or rather Mark is studying while Donghyuck is complaining(“seriously, who gives a test in the first week of school?”) and staring at Mark while he isn’t looking.

Donghyuck pouts. He was only telling the truth; Mark is almost irresistibly cute today- hair tousled and his face framed by his endearing owl glasses.

Donghyuck sighs and leans his head on Mark's shoulder. Again, Mark doesn’t react much. Jeno is right; Donghyuck and Mark have been close for too long for any method of flirting to have any impact.

“Hyuck, it's starting to rain. You should head home.”

“You want me to walk home in the rain?” Donghyuck whines. “Hyung, you’re heartless.”

“I’ll walk you home, you big baby,” Mark sighs. “Let me go grab Johnny's umbrella.”

Donghyuck tries to still his racing pulse. Mark has walked him home countless times. Today is different though, just as every day has been different since he made his resolution. Honestly, it's exhausting. Whenever Mark is around, all Donghyuck can think about is how much he wishes he could curl his fingers into that dark hair, wrap his arms around Mark's waist-

Donghyuck shakes his head to clear it. Working himself up isn’t going to do any good.

Huddled close to Mark under Johnny’s black umbrella, Donghyuck finds it hard not to work himself up. Mark's closeness was as familiar as breathing, but as exhilarating as an electric current. It had been this way ever since Donghyuck had realized two years ago that he was in love with his best friend.  
Most of the time, Donghyuck takes any excuse for closeness with Mark, but today he can’t stand another moment. He darts out from the umbrella and directly into a puddle, splashing both himself and Mark with rain water. Mark yelps in surprise.

“Water fight, Mark Lee,” he grins mischiviously. “Whoever gets the least wet wins”

“What the prize?” Donghyuck warms at the sight of the familiar competitive light in Mark's eyes.

“The prize is you're less wet.”

“You’re on."

In seconds the umbrella is folded and both boys are drenched by the downpour, but neither cares. Mark's smile could brighten any day, Donghyuck thinks. By the time they reach Donghyuck's street, both boys are so drenched that it’s clear neither was the winner.

“I think I won,” Mark says, panting as they return their pace to normal.

“Oh come on, look at you,” Donghyuck laughs. “You look like a drowned rat.”

“So do you.”

“But I’m a cute one.” When Mark doesn’t answer, Donghyuck flushes slightly. In that breath of momentary awkwardness, the toe of Donghyuck's sneaker catches on the uneven pavement, and he feels himself begin to fall.

Donghyuck barely has time to cry out, then strong arms are around his waist, steadying him. Donghyuck's eyes meet Mark's, and he feels his face flush.

“You okay”

A breathless response, “Yeah.”

Is Donghyuck imagining it, or do Mark's hands linger on his waist a moment longer than necessary?

As Donghyuck closes his front door, the last thing he sees is Mark's wet hair plastered to his forehead, his glasses spattered with rain, and the last this he hears is Marks laughing voice, calling him a klutz.

 

 

Mark doesn’t even bother to open the umbrella as he walks home; he’s already too drenched for it to make a difference. His footsteps hit the wet pavement in time with his heartbeat and the rhythm of the rain still beating down in torrents. For some reason, Mark can’t shake the image of Donghyuck, skin slick with rain, raindrops clinging to his long eyelashes, water dripping from the points of his hair… The rhythm of the rain becomes a beat in Mark's mind.

The new page in Mark's notebook is slightly damp because Mark is too eager to get his words on paper to change out of his wet clothes

 _Drip motion, action towards you_  
_Drip drip my emotions_  
_My feelings capture everything_  
_So there’s not a single dry spot, rain shower in your heart_

He hesitates before adding the last line, but it fits too well to leave it out.

_Dripping love_

 

  
“Hyuckie! Status report!” Jaemin loops his arm around Donghyuck from behind.

“Any progress?” Chenle prods, sliding into the chair between Jisung and Renjun

Donghyuck only groans in answer, resting his head on the lunch table.

"That bad, huh?” Jeno chuckles, throwing an arm around Jaemin’s shoulders.

“Keep your voice down,” Donghyuck glances around, checking that Mark is nowhere in sight.

"Relax,” Renjun soothes, “Mark isn’t at school today. He has a cold or something.”

Guilt sparks in the pit of Donghyuck's stomach. “Oh God, that’s probably my fault."

After an inquiring look from Jaemin, he tells them about the rain storm, cheeks heating as he recalls Mark’s strong arms steadying steadying him, Mark's face mere inches from his.

“And you didn’t kiss him?” Jaemin moans incredulously. “Really Donghyuck, are you sure you don’t need our help?”

Donghyuck smacks Jaemin's arm. “I don’t want your help! And,” He adds, catching the calculating look on Jaemin's face, “don’t you dare breathe a word to anyone, especially Mark.”

“Cross our heart and hope to die,” Jisung laughs as Jaemin pouts.

 

 **Hyuckie** : Hey where r u?

 **Cutie Mark** : At home with fever thanks to u

 **Hyuckie** : Hey I never forced you to get wet

 

Donghyuck hesitates just a moment too long outside Mark and Johnny's door. He doesn’t need to knock; years of practically living at each other’s homes did away with that formality long ago.

"Get it together, Donghyuck,” he mutters, pushing open the door.

Johnny and Ten are watching a movie, Ten's small frame tucked against Johnny's side, Johnny's long arm encircling Ten's slender shoulders. Not for the first time, Donghyuck feels a stab of envy for the couple.

“Mark's in his room,” Johnny says, barely looking up.

“Thanks hyung.”

Mark hastily stuffs something under his pillow as Donghyuck enters. A notebook maybe? Mark gives a tired smile. His face is flushed and his skin glows from the heat of the fever. How unfair, Donghyuck thinks, for someone to look so beautiful when sick.

“You look like hell,” Donghyuck says.

“Did you just come here to make fun of me?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Mark snorts and then immediately starts coughing. Donghyuck's brow creases in concern. “I’m fine,” Mark says, noticing Donghyuck’s expression.

“Okay,” Donghyuck replies hesitantly. “Well I just stopped by to give you the homework from chem.” He sets the papers on Mark's desk and moves back toward the door. “Get some rest, hyung.”

“Thanks, Hyuck” Mark's horse voice answers. Donghyuck flashes a smile as he closes the door.

As soon as the door shuts behind Donghyuck, Mark reaches under his pillow and pulls out his notebook and pen to finish the line.

 _Dream on, trigger the fever_  
_The quivering of a hot heart_  
_With a youthful passion_  
_And a burning fuel_

 


	3. We Hot, We Young

**Nana** : R u going to Yuta hyung's party?

**Hyuck** : idk maybe

**Hyuck** : Why?

**Nana** : u should invite Mark

**Hyuck** : u know he’s not really a party person

**Nana** : and ur not really a finally-confessing-your-love-to-your-best-friend person but maybe we can change both those things

**Hyuck** : I told u not to interfere

**Nana** : this is not interfering its advice

**Nana** : Its been almost a month and u r doing nothing so u obvs need a little push

**Hyuck** : I’ll think about it

 

Jaemin sighs in exasperation. Anyone could see Mark and Donghyuck were perfect for each other, but they were just so-

“Uh, Jaemin?” Jaemin turns at the sound of his brother's voice. Jisung stands in the doorway, his small voice and tense posture immediately putting Jaemin into Protective Brother Mode.

“Yeah?”

Jisung takes a few steps into the room. “Can I… ask you something?”

“Of course, Mochji, what’s up?”

“How… when..” Jisung mumbles, gazing at his hands as he knots his long fingers together. “How did you know that you, like… liked Jeno?”

If Jaemin hadn’t been on high alert before, he certainly is now. He resists his natural urge to pry; Jisung is already looking like he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Instead, Jaemin hums thoughtfully and pats the patch of bed beside him. After a moment’s hesitation, Jisung sits down, hands still clasped nervously in front of him.

“I don’t think there was a specific moment,” Jaemin says, eyes growing dreamy. “It started out as more of a suspicion than anything. I was surprised at the thoughts that would pop into my head.” Jisung nods as Jaemin continues, “Eventually, it all added up. There was no other explanation for what my mind and body were telling me.” Jaemin looks at his little brother, but Jisung won’t meet his eyes. “Does that answer your question?”

Jisung nods, still refusing to meet the concerned gaze of his older brother. After another moment, he stands and leaves the room.

Jaemin huffs. It seems Lee Donghyuck isn’t the only lovesick disaster Nana has to deal with anymore.

 

 

“Are you going to Yuta hyung's party?”

Donghyuck's abrupt question elicits a surprised laugh from Mark. “When have I ever been to one of Yuta’s parties?”

"You went once,” Donghyuck points out.

“Yeah and I got so wasted I don’t even remember it. I’m not doing that again.”

"Come on, hyung,” Donghyuck whines, pouting. “You should come, it’ll be fun.”

Mark caves before Donghyuck's puppy eyes. “I’ll think about it."

 

 

If anyone had expected Nakamoto Yuta to stop throwing parties once he graduated high school, they were sorely mistaken. In fact, Donghyuck thinks, this is the rowdiest one yet. Probably due to the fact that both high school and college students were there now.

Mark and Donghyuck had arrived with Ten and Johnny, but quickly lost them in the crowd. The base thrums through Donghyuck's chest, seeming to replace his heartbeat. He looks at Mark and laughs at the expression of utter helplessness that greets him.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to come to another one of these stupid things,” Mark hisses, running a hand through his hair.

“You seemed to enjoy the last one,” Donghyuck teases.

“Stop, I don’t want to know,” Mark groans.

Donghyuck smirks. No matter how much he teases, he never intends to tell Mark what really happened that night two year ago, in this very house.

“Come on,” Donghyuck loops his arm through Mark's and drags him through the crowd to the kitchen, where they find Jaemin and Renjun giggling together.

“Oh my God,” Renjun says when he spots Mark, “I cannot believe you actually came.”

“You owe me 10,000 won,” Jaemin grins at Renjun. He shoves a drink into Mark's hand and one into Donghyuck's. “Let’s go find something fun. Have you seen Jeno yet?”

As they start to move through the crowd, sipping at the cheap alcohol concoction Yuta calls 'punch,' Jaemin attaches himself to Donghyuck's arm and says in his ear, "You actually got him here, now you're going to dance with him."

 

 

Mark finds himself in a throng of people, all dancing to a heavy beat blasting from Yuta's speakers. Donghyuck and Jaemin are on either side of him, bodies moving to the rhythm. Mark may not be much of a party person, but dancing is one thing he can do. Mark throws himself to the beat. The alcohol creeping through his veins makes him feel free and the bass thrums in his ribcage.

Suddenly, hands are on his hips and Donghyuck's eyes are blazing into his. Their expression is almost… vulnerable? But that's ridiculous; Donghyuck is the most confident, self-assured person Mark knows. The expression vanishes as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a familiar sparking grin.

“Having fun, Mark Lee?” Donghyuck almost shouts over the music. Mark only laughs in return.

Much to his own surprise, Mark _is_ having fun. Vaguely aware of Jaemin and Jeno next to him, mind fuzzy with alcohol, he matches Donghyuck's pace. How, he wonders, did he never know that Donghyuck could dance like that? The crowd pushes back slightly, allowing a little more space. Even Jaemin and Jeno pause for a moment, and Mark can't quite place the expression on their faces. The next moment the space shifts, and Jaemin and Jeno take the spotlight, moving together, feeding off each other's energy.  


 

_Will this remain as a memory when we become adults?_

_This trembling feeling right now_

_When we hold hands and look into each other’s eyes_

_So what We’re gonna have fun_

_cause’ we hot and we young_

Eventually the heat and the exhaustion are too much for Mark, and he extracts himself from the crowd and makes his way to the back door, craving fresh air. The cool night breeze ruffles Mark's hair and he breathes a sigh. He can’t shake the feeling of Donghyuck's body pressed against him… It must be the alcohol making his head spin, his heart race.

A sniffle pulls Mark from his jumbled thoughts. He had assumed he was alone, but now he notices someone in the shadows, knees tucked against his chest.

“Jisung?”

The boy looks up and Mark is startled to see his young face streaked with tears.

“M-Mark hyung?” Jisung's voice is a tiny squeak, a sound that Mark had only heard Jisung make during scary movies.

"Oh my God Jisung, are you okay?” He kneels next to the younger boy, who hides his face in his hands. “Do you need anything? Should I get Jaemin?”

“No,” Jisung sniffles, grabbing Mark's sleeve to stop him from leaving. “N-no, hes with Jeno, I d-don’t want to b-bother him.”

“Why are you even here?” Mark asks gently settling himself beside Jisung and wrapping an arm around the younger boy's shoulders.

This seems to calm him because his voice is steadier when he replies. “Chenle and I heard Jaemin talking about it. We wanted to come, to prove we aren’t babies any more.” He lets out a shaky laugh. “I guess I'm nothing but a crybaby after all.”

There's a moment of silence before Mark gently asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yeah…” Jisung stares at his hands. “Hyung, you really can’t tell anyone. Not even Jaemin. I know he means well, but sometimes he's a bit…”

“Yeah I get it,” Mark recalls all the times Jaemin has meddled in his own life. “I swear, you can trust me with anything.”

Jisung takes a deep breath. “They're doing karaoke in the master bedroom.” Not seeing the connection, Mark waits for further explanation. “Chenle was singing and I just… I had to leave”

“Why? Was he that bad?”

“No!” Jisung stares earnestly into Mark's face. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Mark has no idea how to respond to this. Jisung breaks eye contact and knots his fingers together harder.

“Hyung, I… I think… I think I like him,” Jisung whispers. “Like, _like_ like him.”

"Okay.” The gentleness in Mark's tone is too much for Jisung, who buries his face in his hands again. “Jisungie, there's nothing wrong with that.”

“There's everything wrong with that,” Jisung moans. “He's my best friend. You hyungs are great, but Chenle is… I just don’t want to mess everything up.”

Mark wraps Jisung up in a hug. “Jisung, I'm not going to pretend to know all the answers, but I do know one thing; it's okay to let your heart feel whatever it needs to feel. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always ready to listen.”

Jisung offers a weak smile and scrubs his hands over his face. “Thanks hyung. I feel better after talking to you.” The younger boy stands up. “I'm done acting like a baby. Lets go do something fun.”

Jisung and Mark weave their way back into the party. Among the alcohol-flushed faces, Jisung's slightly swollen eyes are unnoticeable. Guiding Jisung away from the rowdiest drinking games, Mark searches for the familiar faces of their friends.

 

 

“Okay, Taeyong, truth or dare,” giggles a drunk girl whose name Donghyuck can't remember. Predictably, Taeyong chooses dare, and is forced into 30 second of aegyo, met with an outburst of giggles. Donghyuck rolls his eyes. Seriously, Taeyong hyung is too good looking for his own good.

“Jaemin, truth or dare?” Donghyuck misses Jaemin's response because at that moment, Mark enters, Jisung in toe. Chenle lets out his signiture excited squeal and waves Jisung over. Mark, looking slightly troubled, takes a seat between Jeno and Renjun.

“Hey Jisungie, truth or dare?”

Donghyuck has trouble keeping his mind on the game. His eyes keep straying to Mark, who still looks uncharacteristically serious.

“Donghyuck, truth or dare?” The sound of his name snaps Donghyuck's attention back to the present.

“Uh, truth,” he says instinctively, and Yuta hyung hums thoughtfully, trying to think of a question.

“Who was your first kiss?” A collective groan meets this unexciting question.

Donghyuck, however, freezes. “What?”

“Your first kiss, Hyuck,” Yuta repeats.

Donghyuck's eyes turn to Jaemin, panicked, but Jaemin's eyes are alight excitement. Jeno and Renjun perk up as well, and all their faces say the same thing: _This is your chance._ Donghyuck glares back at them. This is _not_ an opportunity, this is embarrassing! He could lie. It would be easy. He could make up a story...

Jaemin seems to know exactly what Donghyuck is thinking. He raises his eyebrows with an expression that clearly says _Don't you dare_. Donghyuck knows Jaemin, despite his promises not to interfere, won't let this slide; If Donghyuck doesn't answer, someone else will. He supposes Mark would have found out eventually anyway, so what the hell.

“My first kiss…” Donghyuck is staring at the ground, feeling the eyes on him. He steels himself. “My first kiss was Mark Lee.”

A moment passes before Chenle's high pitched laugh peals. “Of course he was!” And the game continues, as if nothing is wrong.

Donghyuck stands, not daring to look at Mark, and leaves the room. Johnny, the designated driver, follows him out and offers him a ride home. Donghyuck readily accepts.

 

 

Mark Lee is confused. Well, really, he's feeling a lot of emotions, but he can't decipher them, so he just decides to call the jumble of emotions inside him ‘confusion,’ and leave it at that. He's not sure what surprises him more: Donghyuck's words, or the fact that he seems to be the only one surprised by them.

“You really don’t remember that night, do you,” an amused voice lilts in his ear. Mark jumps and turns to see Ten's sly smile.

“What do you-“ Ten's smile grows wider as comprehension dawns across Marks face. _“Oh.”_

“Do you want to know the story?” Mark hesitates only a moment before nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger and the angst~~


	4. Chain Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years earlier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mark and Hyuck are dressed in their outfits from the Chain music video in this chapter(just fyi so you can visualize)

Donghyuck can’t decide whether he's more nervous or excited for his first high school party. Ten hyung and Johnny hyung have assured him there's nothing to be nervous about; they'll be there if anything happens. Still, Donghyuck feels that he's crossing some sort of threshold. He's no longer a child.

He certainly feels like a child right now though, as he looks in the mirror. The over-sized sweatshirt makes him look even smaller than he actually is. Sighing, he pulls it over his head and tosses it onto the growing pile of discarded outfits. He envies Taeyong for his insane ability to look good in anything; he envies Ten for his extensive wardrobe and good taste; he envies Mark for having an older brother with good fashion sense.

Eventually, Donghyuck settles on an outfit: a light pink plaid, open over a pink shirt, tastefully distressed blue jeans, and red sneakers. Not childish, but still comfortingly soft. Is it too pink? Before Donghyuck can change his mind again, his phone buzzes, telling him that Johnny is waiting outside.

"You look nice, kiddo," Johnny says from the driver's seat as Donghyuck clambers into the backseat, where Mark greets him. He's relived to see that the older boy looks as nervous as he feels.

Donghyuck had been surprised to learn that Mark, despite being a year older than him, had also never been to one of Yuta hyung's famous parties. “Wouldn’t have been any fun without you,” he had said when Donghyuck had asked.

"Wow, Mark," Donghyuck says, eyeing his friend's clothing, "you look... different." It's an understatement. The Mark Lee that Donghyuck knows doesn't wear sexy sleeveless black muscle shirts(when the hell did Mark get muscles?), and he definitely doesn't look  _this good_ in one.

Mark's ears turn red and he rubs his bare arms. "Johnny picked it," he mumbles. "Is it weird?"

"Nope, you look great, hyung." Donghyuck replies, pushing down the heat that rises to his cheeks and flashing a thumbs up to Johnny in the rearview mirror. "Nice job, Mr. Fashion Evaluator."

  
When they arrive, both boys hesitate for a moment on the doorstep. Mark summons up an encouraging smile, though Donghyuck sees through it easily; Mark is completely out of his depth. “It'll be fun, Hyuck. Come on.” Instinctively clutching each other's hand for support, they enter the party together.

Over the course of the next hour, Donghyuck discovers three things about alcohol: firstly, it tastes awful; secondly it tastes less awful the more he drinks; and thirdly, it makes Mark clingy. Like, ridiculously clingy.

"Donghyuck-ah," the older boy slurs slightly, "you look so cute in pink-" Donghyuck tries in vain to disentangle himself from Mark's clumsy embrace. Funny, it's usually the other way around.

“Oh God, Mark,” are the first words from Johnny upon entering the kitchen in search of a drink. “How much have you had?”

When Mark merely shrugs Johnny turns questioning eyes on Donghyuck, who struggles to remember. Mark had won their drinking contest by a large margin, so… “Maybe six?”

“Oh my God, mom and dad are going to kill me.” Johnny takes Mark's cup away and forces him to drink two glasses of water before pushing them both out of the room. “Neither of you are allowed one more sip.”

The chastised pair find themselves in the living room- the impromptu dance floor. Neither boy needs encouragement to throw themselves into the music with an enthusiasm that makes Ten double over in laughter.

Donghyuck looks at Mark in the dim light. His eyes are bright, his cheeks flushed with alcohol, and he is much closer than Donghyuck had realized. They draw closer still, as if pulled by a magnetic force, bodies moving in sync with the music.

Mark is so close, too close; Donghyuck can taste the alcohol on Mark's breath, and then suddenly, he can taste the alcohol on Mark's lips, for just a moment. Mark pulls back the barest amount, searching Donghyuck's face. Then, the tiny distance between them disappears and Mark is crushing Donghyuck's body to his own. Donghyuck gasps against Mark's mouth and winds his fingers into Mark's soft, damp hair and kisses him back. After a long time, or maybe only a few seconds, they break apart, breathing heavily. For one shining moment they look at each other, and Donghyuck realizes he's in love with his best friend. Then Mark's knees buckle, and he collapses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for 200 hits! It may not seem like much it it means a lot to me ^_^


	5. Walk You Home

Six texts from Renjun, one from Jeno, three from Ten hyung, eighteen from Chenle, two from Jisung- oh, and twenty three texts, seven missed calls, and two voicemails from Jaemin. Donghyuck ingores them all and falls back into his pillows, head pounding. Just as he's on the verge of slipping back into unconsciousness, Na Jaemin himself flings the door open and flips on the light switch. Donghyuck flinches and buries his head under a pillow.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?” Jaemin demands, forcing the pillow away from Donghyuck's scowling face.

Donghyuck moans and clutches his head. “Could you please be a little quieter?”

“Oh come on, you can't be _that_ hungover,” Jaemin says, but he softens his tone. “So what are you going to do now?”

“Just wait, I guess,” Donghyuck sighs. “He'll bring it up sooner or later.” Hopefully sooner rather than later; he really doesn't want things to be awkward for long.

He expects Jaemin to argue, to scold him for not taking the initiative, but Jaemin's expression is soft as he ruffles his friend's hair. “I'm proud of you, Hyuck.”

 

 **Injun** : Omg hyung the look on ur face

 **LeeMark** : I cant believe u never told me

  
**Injun** : hyung I wasn’t at that party

 **LeeMark** : oh right

  
**LeeMark** : but u obvs knew

 **Injun** : I may have heard about it

 **LeeMark:** y did everyone know except me?

 **Injun** : its ur own fault for drinking that much

 **Injun** : u should talk to hyuck tho

 

Mark knows Renjun is right; he doesn’t want something that happened two years ago to make things awkward now. Its not like it was a big deal, he tells himself. They were both drunk and they acted a bit stupid. So what? That's what Mark tells himself as he approaches Donghyuck's locker on Monday morning.

“Hey”

The younger boy startles, but regains composure in an instant. “Hey yourself.”

“Um… Ten hyung told me a pretty interesting story the other night”

The faintest hint of a blush blooms on Donghyuck's coppery skin. “I guess I can’t really hold that over your head anymore, can I?" he says ruefully, feigning nonchalance. He forces a teasing smile onto his lips, and for a moment, Mark finds himself wondering what it had been like to kiss those lips.

Mark shakes his head to clear it. “Hyuck, I-“ the bell rings to go to class, cutting him off(not that he had any idea what he was going to say anyway).

“Look,” Donghyuck says, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, “can we talk about this later? Maybe after school?”

“Uh, yeah,” Mark replies, hating the awkwardness between them. “Meet you here?”

“Okay, hyung.” And just like that, he's gone.

 

 

Neither Mark nor Donghyuck sit at their regular table during lunch. Jaemin expected as much. Why were those two so difficult? Jaemin leans against Jeno and fixes his eyes on the other object of his interest: his little brother.

Even since that odd conversation, Jaemin had begun to pick up bits and pieces, but it wasn’t until the party that he was sure. The expression on Jisung's young face as he watched Chenle sing had been unmistakable, as had been his abrupt disappearance from the room.

Jisung and Chenle sit across the table from Jaemin and Jeno, but they might as well be in another world. Jaemin watches thoughtfully as they chatter and bicker and laugh. His sharp scrutiny miss the fondness in his brother's eyes. Jaemin mentally kicks himself for not noticing it sooner: Jisung obviously has a crush on Chenle.

Despite his natural urge to meddle, Jaemin hasn’t said anything about it, trusting that his brother will come to him when he's ready to talk. Either way, Jaemin is relieved to think about something other than Mark and Donghyuck.

 

 

The walk home starts in awkward silence. Mark steals glances at his best friend's face, but Donghyuck seems determined not to meet his gaze. 

Mark takes a deep breath and begins, “Donghyuck-“ at the same moment the younger boy blurts, “Mark, I-“

“You first,” Mark mumbles, flustered.

Donghyuck never takes his eyes from the ground as my softly replies, “I'm sorry I never told you”

Mark chuckles. “I don’t blame you. From what Ten hyung said… you probably wish you don’t remember it either. Did I really knock you over?”

Donghyuck laughs, and just like that, the awkwardness dissipates. “Yes! We both fell right into the bookshelf!”

Mark's nose crinkles in laughter and embarrassment. “God, Hyuck, I'm so sorry!”

“It was worth a couple bruises to see Johnny carrying you home,” Donghyuck sniggers. “You were babbling like an idiot.”

Comfortable banter follows them the rest of the way, and Mark can't help but notice the way Donghyuck's eyes sparkle when he laughs. The tension that had nestled itself in Mark's shoulders all weekend seems silly now; it's only Donghyuck. Donghyuck, who has stuck by him for years. Donghyuck, the most natural, authentic person in the world. Donghyuck, who would never let something as trivial as a kiss come between their friendship.

Mark wishes the walk home would never end. Eventually, though, it does.

“Jaemin wants to do something this weekend,” the younger boy says, hand on the handle of his front door. “Absolutely no alcohol though.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mark laughs. “Maybe karaoke?”

Donghyuck groans, but his eyes are sparkling. “Chenle will hog the microphone.”

“You'll have to fight him for it,” Mark agrees. “See you tomorrow, Hyuck.”

“Bye, Mark hyung.” The door clicks shut behind Donghyuck.

 _We’re here, goodbye, get home safe_  
_I’m gonna watch you go inside so hurry and go in_  
_After your pretty back disappears_  
_I turn around and I start to miss you already_

Mark shakes his head at the stupidity, but he adds the words to his notebook that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was kinda a filler but IT WAS IMPORTANT, OKAY? The next update will be more exciting so stay tuned ;)


	6. Beautiful Time

All seven boys readily agree to the idea of a karaoke night, so that's where Friday night finds them. The small karaoke lounge is a popular destination for high school and college students alike, so it's lucky they were able to get a room to themselves, especially on a weekend. As predicted, Chenle does indeed hog the microphone. Mark doesn’t miss the tender look on Jisung's face as Chenle croons an English song Mark vaguely recognizes. The young Chinese boy has lovely voice, Mark has to admit, but before long, Renjun and Jaemin practically wrestle the microphone away so they can perform Red Velvet's _Power Up_ , complete with choreography, which Donghyuck can't resist joining in for. Mark and Jeno laugh that the trio should form their own idol girl group.There's never a dull moment with this group, Mark thinks. Donghyucks energetic version of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean has them nearly in tears.

“Mark, you haven't done anything yet,” Jaemin prods. “Stop being boring, that's Jeno's job.” This remark earns a look from Jeno, but Jaemin only smiles sweetly.

“Sing us a song, hyung,” Chenle chimes in, and despite protest, Mark finds himself flipping through the book of songs, Donghyuck and Renjun hovering over his shoulders.

“I'll sing with you,” Donghyuck murmurs. Startled, Mark looks at the younger boy, whose face is inches away, eyes determined.

“Oh, um, okay.”

Renjun reaches over, tapping a song on the list. “This one,” he says, locking eyes with Donghyuck, “don’t you think?” Understanding seems to pass between them; true to form, Mark has no idea what it means.

“You know the words?” Renjun verifies.

“Of course,” Mark scoffs, “I love this song.”

As the opening notes of EXO's _They Never Know_ play, Mark flashes a smile at his best friend; Donghyuck barely returns it, clutching the mic harder than necessary.  
Donghyuck is never nervous. _What is going on_ , Mark wonders.

“ _I opened my everything to you_ ,” Donghyuck begins, his sweet voice making Mark forget everything but the song, “ _My eyes, the deepest part of my heart._ ”

“ _In a world that's closed off without a small crack,_ ” Mark continues, “ _it's the only place that's open for you._ ” They sing as one, effortlessly switching off lines, sharing harmonies together. Mark can't bring himself to take his eyes off Donghyuck.

“ _The rain makes everything wet_ ”

Mark remembers the raindrops on Donghyuck's skin.

“ _Would you dare to cross the line?_ ” Donghyuck’s eyes are blazing. His voice is like sunshine and lemonade, sweet and clear.

Mark takes the rap verse, still unable to break eye contact. “ _I'm falling more for you each day_.”

“ _They never know the reason I'm getting closer_.” Mark doesn’t remember either of them moving, but Donghyuck is barely an arms length away.

“ _We're ignoring everyone's eyes._ ” Mark barely registers the others in the room.

“ _Don’t let go, don’t say no_ ,” the two voices weave together.

 _“The rain makes everything wet_  
_We're ignoring everyone’s eyes”_

" _I’ll cross the line first to the place where you are._ ” Donghyuck is so close now, his eyes soft, almost pleading.

“ _Baby tell me where the line is”_

The last words of the song are almost a whisper:

_“Baby tell me where the line is.”_

The music ends and the two boys are facing each other, with barely enough room between them for the microphones still clutched in their hands.  
Donghyuck’s face is breathing heavily, so close that Mark can feel it, and Mark has the sudden urge to close the tiny distance between them.  
Instead, Donghyuck pulls away.

“I gotta go,” he says, and leaves the room without a backwards glance.

Mark collapses back into his seat. After a moment, Jaemin clears his throat and orders Chenle to sing something.

“Oh my God,” Mark murmurs in wonder, eyes fixed on the door.

“Oh my God,” Renjun's voice repeats, his tone exasperated, bit still quiet enough to be covered by the music. “I thought you were just being shy about it, but you did't even _realize,_ did you?.”

“Renjun, I- I think I-“

“I know,” Renjun cuts him off. “You're kind of an open book.”

“But-“

Renjun stops him again. “Don’t tell me. Tell him.”

 

 

 _If Mark still doesn't get it,_ Donghyuck thinks, _I'm giving up._ Though the night is warm, he wraps his arms protectively around himself. Gazing into those eyes and voicing his deepest thoughts(even if it was through someone else’s words) has left Donghyuck feeling exposed and vulnerable.

His phone chimes.

 **Mojisung** : hyung u r rlly brave

And then a moment later:

 **Mojisung** : thank u

 

 

Johnny pokes his head out of the kitchen when Mark gets home. “Hey Marky, how was karaoke?” His eyebrows lift at the sight of Mark's face. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Mark collapses onto the couch, where Johnny joins him, waiting for an explanation. Mark looks at his brother. He would trust Johnny with his life; he can trust him with this. “I think I like Donghyuck.”

To Mark's surprise, Johnny laughs. “Oh, is that all?”

“You're not, I don't know, surprised?”

“Why would I be?” Johnny schools his expression back to seriousness. “Are _you_ surprised?”

“Yes, I am!” Mark insists, feeling indignant. “I only figured it out tonight.”

“Well, you’ve always been a bit oblivious,” Johnny says, the fondness in his tone taking the bite our of the insult. Even so, Mark groans and heads toward his bedroom.

“Mark.” He turns back to face his brother, who's still watching him from the couch. “You’ve been in love with that boy for years.”

That’s a bit of an overstatement, Mark thinks. He sits down at his desk and does what he always does when his thoughts are jumbled: he pulls out his notebook, and his eyes catch on his most recent addition from a few days ago:

_I turn around and start to miss you already_

Donghyuck closing the door behind him.

“Oh my God,” Mark breathes.

Slowly, Mark turns back the pages, finding his best friend etched into every word.

_I saw the face of an angel_

Donghyuck, smiling absently out the window.

_Dripping love_

Donghyuck, hair flipping water as he throws back his head and laughs into the rainstorm.

_Tell me everything, I always want to hear your story_

Donghyuck, confiding in his best friend all his worries and problems.

Near the beginning of the book, an almost unintelligible scrawl:

_I think I'm drunk on you_

The words click in Mark's head and he wishes he remembers that night.

Okay, so maybe Johnny was right. I really has been years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was probably my favorite chapter to write so far, I hope you enjoyed!


	7. My First and Last

Mark's ringtone blares and his eyes flutter open. He's slouched over his desk, face pressed to the open page of his notebook. He peels his cheek away from the paper, groaning, and sees Jisung's name flashing across his phone screen. 

The clock on his phone informs him of the time- 12:17 AM. He can't have slept for more than an hour, but his neck aches from the awkward position.  

“Hello?” Mark's voice is slightly scratchy as he answers the call.  

“ _Hyung!"_   Jisung's  voice crackles over the  line, loud enough that Mark jumps. “ _Hyung_ _, I did it!”_  

“What did you do, Sungie?” 

“ _Well, after_ _we left karaoke, I offered to walk_ _Lele_ _home”_  

A smile creeps across Mark's face; he thinks he can see where this is going. “And?” 

 _“Well, I've been_ _thinking a lot about what you said, so I decided to tell him how I feel_ _.”_  

“Okay, and?” 

 _“_ _And… I did. I told him I like him as more than a friend, and I asked him to go out with me.”_  

“And!?” 

 _“And, well. He kissed me._ _And called me an idiot._ _So I guess that was a yes?”_  

Mark's grin is almost too big for his face. “Oh my god, Jisung, I'm so proud of you!” 

 _“Yeah, yeah.”_ Mark  can hear the smile in his voice. “ _So, what about you?”_  

Mark's smile falters. “What?” 

“ _You like_ _Hyuck_ _, don’t you?”_  

He'd been so excited about Chenle and Jisung that he had momentarily forgotten his own concern. Mark heaves an exasperated sigh. “How does everyone know about that?” 

Jisung has the audacity to giggle, ignoring the question. “ _Well? What_ _are_ _you_ _going to do?”_  

 _“_ I... I don’t know.” Mark rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I mean, I don’t know if he feels the same, and-” A muffled thump followed by a soft curse cut him off. Jisung has apparently dropped his phone. “Um, Jisung?” 

Jisung quickly recovers his device. “ _Are you kidding,_ _hyung_ _? Of course he likes you back”_  

 _“_ Huh?"

“ _Oh my god, no offence but you are literally the most oblivious person I’ve ever met.”_  

 _“_ Hey-” 

“ _He practically confessed to you at karaoke. Why do you think he chose that song?”_  

 _“_ But-” 

 _“That’s what gave me the courage to talk to Chenle:_ _Hyuck_ _finally doing something about his ridiculous crush on you.”_  

 _“_ Oh.” Mark doesn’t know what else to say. He thinks back to the way Hyuck had seemed so uncharacteristically nervous. Could Jisung be right? 

Jisung’s voice sounds exasperated. “ _Whatever, idiot. But you should take your own advice,_ _hyung_ _. If I can confess to Chenle...”_  

Mark feels his face heat up at the thought. “I’ll think about it,” he mumbles before ending the call and flopping backwards onto his bed. It’s half past midnight and he knows he should sleep, but he doesn’t feel remotely tired anymore. His mind is too agitated for sleep, full of confusion. He’s only really sure of one thing: he likes Donghyuck. In retrospect, he marvels that it took him so long to realize it. Jisung was certainly right about him being oblivious. Since he’s been so oblivious to his own feelings, could he have overlooked Hyuck’s as well. He supposes it’s possible, but... what if Donghyuck doesn't like him romantically? Wouldn’t confessing just make everything awkward? 

Take your own advice, Jisung had said. Let your heart feel whatever it needs to feel. 

Mark’s eyes drift back to his desk, his notebook, and a new melody begins to form in his mind: 

 _Baby, is it me, or are you doing something to me?_  

Well, if he’s going to do this, he might as well do it in style. 

 

 

Donghyuck didn’t sleep much Friday night. A few hours after he had left karaoke, he’d received a very loud phone call from Chenle. It took a few minutes to make sense of what the excited Chinese boy was trying to sqay, but he eventually understood the situation. He was overjoyed for his two young friends, of course, but his own nervousness hovered over him like a cloud all night.  

As such, he is less than happy to be woken by a phone call at nine in the morning. Groaning, he rolls over, not bothering to open his eyes to check the caller ID before answering. “Hello?” he mumbles. 

 _“Hey.”_  At the sound of Mark’s voice, Donghyuck’s eyes fly open and he sits bolt upright, anxiety replacing any trace of sleepiness. 

“Oh. Hi Mark.” Is his voice always this squeaky? “What’s up?” 

“ _Um. I’m outside your house, so... Could you come outside for a minute?”_  

Oh, god, no. “Uh, yeah, sure. Be down in a sec.” Donghyuck ends the call and scrambles to his window, peeking down at the front step. Sure enough, Mark Lee is standing there, looking awkward and nervous, and- why is he holding a guitar? 

Donghyuck lets out a string of curses as he runs his fingers though his mess of hair in a vain attempt to look presentable. He quickly gives up and throws on a hoodie before scrambling down the stairs. He hesitates a moment with his hand on the doorknob and tries to calm his breathing. This is nothing to be afraid of. It’s just Mark. Mark, who he’s known for years. His best friend. His best friend who he is hopelessly in love with. No big deal. 

Mark jumps when the door opens. He looks almost as nervous as Donghyuck feels, which is strangely comforting. Neither boy says anything for a moment. 

“Uh, hi.” Mark finally breaks the silence. 

“Hi.” 

Mark stares blankly at Donghyuck’s face for another moment before clearing his throat and glancing down at his guitar. “I, um. Just-just listen, okay?” 

“Okay,” Donghyuck answers faintly, more confused than ever. 

Mark positions his fingers on the frets of the guitar and takes a deep breath. Then, he starts to sing.  

 

 _Baby, is it me or are you_  

 _Doing something to me?_  

 _When you smile, it’s shining_  

 _But for some reason, you’re lying inside_  

 

Mark's voice is slightly rough, and a bit timid at first. He keeps his eyes on his fingers dancing over the guitar strings, refusing to look at Donghyuck.  

 

 _Dangerously, you’re beautiful_  

 _You slowly came to me, my dilemma_  

 _Like a habit,_  

 _I’m already looking for your hand that’s not there_  

 

Mark's voice grows stronger, timidness disappearing as he loses himself in the music. 

 

 _What’s scary is the way you talk_  

 _What gives me goosebumps is when you smile_  

 _My focus, my control is all you, uh oh_  

 _But the problem is, I don’t hate it, oh no_  

 

Donghyuck has never been exceptional in English class, but he knows enough that, when coupled with the Korean lyrics, he understands Mark's song perfectly. He can feel warmth flooding his cheeks, his heart rate speeding up. 

 

 _I like it when we get closer, when it gets risky_  

 _Only when you hold my hand, it feels like I have started_  

 _When I’m with you,_  

 _Danger seems like a good thing_  

 _Whether it’s the wrong or right answer_  

 _You decide for me_  

 

On the last line, Mark finally lifts his gaze to Donghyuck's face. The expression in his round, dark eyes is unlike anything Donghyuck has ever seen there before; he looks completely and utterly vulnerable. 

“Mark,” Donghyuck breathes, moving closer, “that was beautiful.” 

Mark looks at the ground, letting the guitar fall from his grasp and hang from the strap around his neck. “Uh. I’m glad you like it.” His ears turn red and he risks another glance at Donghyuck's face before returning his gaze to the ground. “I, um, kinda wrote it for you?” He phrases it like a question, which Donghyuck answers by taking another step forward and gently cupping his hand under Mark's jaw, lifting it until the older boy meets his gaze. 

“I love it,” Donghyuck whispers, moving closer still.  

Mark inhales sharply, eyes are wide with hope and disbelief. His gaze darts to Donghyuck's slightly parted lips, and he swallows. 

“Um, can I kiss you?” His voice is soft, the same tone he might use when speaking to an animal he didn’t want to startle away. 

Donghyuck can't find the breath to answer, so he just nods, his eyes slipping shut as Mark leans in. 

It’s nothing like the sloppy, drunken kiss at the party. Mark's hands cup Donghyuck’s face gently, as if the younger boy is a precious treasure he's afraid he might break. His lips, too, are achingly gentle. Donghyuck's hands move from Mark's shoulders to his hair, winding his fingers into the dark strands that are every bit as soft as they were two years ago. He tries to pull Mark closer, but the guitar is in the way. Mark breaks the kiss for a moment to lift the strap from around his neck, dropping the instrument unceremoniously onto the grass behind him before looping an arm around Donghyuck's waist and pulling the younger boy against his chest. 

“Donghyuck,” he starts, “I really-” 

“Stop right there, Mark Lee,” Donghyuck orders, giggling a little at the surprised look on the older boy’s face. “I told Jaemin _I_ would confess to _you_ , so you can’t do it first.” 

A grin lights up on Mark’s face, and Donghyuck’s heart flutters. He could never get tired of that smile. 

“Mark Lee, I like you a lot. Against my better judgement, really-” 

“Oh, shut up!” Mark’s cheeks are glowing with warmth. 

Donghyuck raises a teasing eyebrow. “Make me.” 

“Challenge accepted,” Mark smirks, and his lips effectively muffle any response Donghyuck might have given. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the epilogue


	8. We Go Up

 

The scene is almost identical to that night, months ago, when they had gathered on the night before the first day of Mark’s senior year. Tomorrow is graduation, and at first glance it may seem like nothing at all has changed. Chenle and Jisung still bicker over the TV remote, Jaemin still curls against Jeno’s side like a cat demanding affection, Johnny still pokes his head in the room occasionally with the same fond look, and Donghyuck is once again late. 

If one looks closely enough, though, there are differences. Jaemin’s hair is pink; he dyed it on a dare a few months ago and liked it so much that he decided to keep it. Jisung has grown several inches over the school year, much to Rejun’s dismay. Besides these, there are more important differences: Chenle has his legs are thrown over Jisung’s, practicaly sitting in the younger boy’s lap, and Jisung kisses him on the cheek- using the moment of distraction to snatch the remote away. 

“Park Jisung, that is cheating!” Chenle pouts. “Why do you have to tease me like that?” 

“Because you’re so cute when I tease you,” Jisung grins back, earning a gentle shove from his boyfriend. 

Renjun makes a disgusted noise from the armchair. “God, why am I the only straight one?” 

“You? Straight?” comes a disbelieving snort from the doorway, and Mark turns to see Donghyuck, wearing his trademark mischievous smile. “Come on, Junnie, we all see the way you look at that Chinese transfer student. What was his name again? Liu Yang-” 

Renjun launches out of his armchair, cheeks flaming, and Donghyuck runs for his life with a wicked cackle. Mark laughs at the familiar antics. Sometimes he feels like they’re all still kids. He smiles at the memories of all the years they’ve spent together 

 

 _we're trying to fly a bit further_  

 _memories of those days shine_  

 _even if I was naive, they make me beautiful..._  

 

Eventually, Jaemin manages to calm Renjun down, and Donghyuck finally turns to Mark with a huff. “You could have helped me out a little, you know,” he pouts. “Isn’t my boyfriend supposed to protect me?” 

Even after months of dating, Mark still isn’t used to being called Donghyuck’s boyfriend. The sound of the word from the younger boy’s lips is still enough to make his stomach do acrobatics. 

“Babe, I love you, but you kind of deserved that,” Mark replies as his boyfriend settles against him, resting his head on Mark’s shoulder. “And... Renjun is kind of terrifying.” 

“Damn straight,” Renjun says emphatically. 

“Damn gay, you mean.” Donghyuck smirks, earning a glare. 

Mark rests his cheek against Donghyuck’s hair and gazes fondly at his group of friends, the most important people in his life. He wraps his arm securely around Donghyuck’s shoulders and feels peace. He’s not afraid of the graduation ceremony; these younger boys will be in the crowd, screaming his name when he receives his diploma. He isn’t afraid of college; he’s already enrolled in the same university as Johnny, and they’ve decided to continue living together. Mark has a feeling that his change of schools won’t keep this room free of the boisterous teenage boys it now occupies. They’ve been together through everything, and Mark feels confident that this is a bond that will withstand the test of time. 

But mostly, Mark feels peace because he has Donghyuck, and he never, ever intends to let go of this fiery, fierce, delicious ray of sunshine he has the privilege of calling his boyfriend. With Donghyuck at his side, Mark feels ready for whatever life might throw his way. 

As if reading Mark’s thoughts, Donghyuck shifts slightly to gaze up into his boyfriend’s eyes. “You know I love you, right?” he murmurs, soft enough that no one but Mark can hear. 

“Yeah,” Mark says, pressing a gentle kiss to the younger boy’s forehead and relishing the dusting of pink that blooms across his cheeks. “I love you too.” 

 

 _There's no reason to be afraid_  

 _look at me with your two eyes_  

 _that makes me go higher_  

 _let's end this track, next stage_  

 

 _We go up_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end! Thank you so much for reading! I'm already working on a new story so stay tuned for that ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Just fyi the lyrics I'm using in this story are from songs that Mark helped write irl!
> 
> If you enjoyed Open Book, please check out my new story Showmance


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